title: The p75 neurotrophin receptor mediates neuronal apoptosis and is essential for naturally occurring sympathetic neuron death.
abstract: To determine whether the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) plays a role in naturally occurring neuronal death, we examined neonatal sympathetic neurons that express both the TrkA tyrosine kinase receptor and p75NTR. When sympathetic neuron survival is maintained with low quantities of NGF or KCl, the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which does not activate Trk receptors on sympathetic neurons, causes neuronal apoptosis and increased phosphorylation of c-jun. Function-blocking antibody studies indicate that this apoptosis is due to BDNF-mediated activation of p75NTR. To determine the physiological relevance of these culture findings, we examined sympathetic neurons in BDNF-/- and p75NTR-/- mice. In BDNF-/- mice, sympathetic neuron number is increased relative to BDNF+/+ littermates, and in p75NTR-/- mice, the normal period of sympathetic neuron death does not occur, with neuronal attrition occurring later in life. This deficit in apoptosis is intrinsic to sympathetic neurons, since cultured p75NTR-/- neurons die more slowly than do their wild-type counterparts. Together, these data indicate that p75NTR can signal to mediate apoptosis, and that this mechanism is essential for naturally occurring sympathetic neuron death.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuronal Survival, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4.
authors.forename: S X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Bamji
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majdan
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pozniak
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Belliveau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aloyz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kohn
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Causing
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000502:physiology; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048429:Cell Size; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA